


The Dragon Age Lore

by Queen-Of-Kocari-Wilds (bakasukebe)



Series: The Untold Tale of the Dragon Age [2]
Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins, Qunari - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2018-07-23 23:07:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7483539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bakasukebe/pseuds/Queen-Of-Kocari-Wilds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a collection of all the lore that I have changed and created as part of my long running fic 'The Dragon Age', some of it will be canon, things I've made up myself or the fandom has. It won't be updated as often as the fic itself, but as it becomes relevant. You don't have to read this to read the main fic, it's just little bits of lore to accompany the story, the lore will be referenced within the fic, but I'll usually explain them in the notes of each chapter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Extract from ‘The History of Northern Thedas: The Qunari’ – Alisa Broin

**Extract from ‘The History of Northern Thedas: The Qunari’ – Alisa Broin**

The history of the horned race of the north, is as short as it is unknown, at least to the scholars of the southern lands. Even our most basic of understanding of these strangers, is mostly incorrect, for example, many assume that the term ‘Qunari’ refers to the race, but this is untrue. ‘Qunari’ are those of the race that live under and practice the ‘Qun’, a religion that is less focused on faith, and more of a way of life. However, Qunari does not simply mean one who follows the Qun, as Elven, Human and Dwarven converts are referred to as ‘Viddathari’, which can often to lead to confusion for outsiders, not that the Qunari are keen to divulge any information that may resolve such misunderstandings.

‘Qunari’ also cannot be used to describe those who convert away from the Qun, or those who simply were born outside of it, the Qunari have specific titles for these circumstances. Tal-Vashoth is the word many Qunari will hiss when the subject of a member of the Qun fleeing the religion is brought up, translated to ‘True Grey Ones’ these people are seen as traitors to their people, and are often hunted by the Qunari Ben-Hassrath to either be forcefully converted back, or killed. Tal-Vashoth often turn to mercenary work or become simple bandits, unable to adjust and thrive in the freedom of living outside the structure of the Qun.

This is not the case for all Tal-Vashoth however, many can live fairly ordinary and productive lives, often settling in lands such as Rivain or becoming wondering tribes known as ‘Vashothari’, those born within the tribes are known as ‘Vashoth’ or ‘Grey Ones’. Vashothari mostly travel along the northern and wilder lands, they are most commonly found in Rivain, Seheron and the Anderfels, staying clear of Tevinter and Qunari lands. This may be because of their preference for hotter climates, or due to the suspicious and even hostile attitude towards them in the Chantry ruled countries.

Due to the many varying terms for the race, it can be difficult to pinpoint a general term for them, though after some extensive research and often dangerous questioning, I have discovered that the term ‘Kossith’ is used to describe those who lived before the Qun. Although, most Qunari will either not be familiar with the phrase or insist it is not the name for the race, I believe it is the closest we will reach to one. This may be because of the hostilities between Tal-Vashoth and Qunari, and their desire to not be associated with one another, or perhaps they do have one, and wish to keep this information private from outsiders, we may never know. 

 

 

 

 


	2. An article from the magazine ‘A Lady’s Guide to the Magisterium’

An article from the magazine ‘A Lady’s Guide to the Magisterium’

As of late, it seems the name ‘Damon Amladaris’ is on everyone’s lips, although he is from one of the oldest families in the magisterium, that is not where his fortune and reputation lies. Magister Amladaris has made his fortune and strengthened his name through the slave trade, a risky investment in Tevinter, given the competitive nature of the trade, but the Magister has put himself above the rest by having a focused interest in the selling and purchasing of child slaves. He is known for having a diverse range of slaves, from all backgrounds both mage and mundane, and has provided his services to some of the largest names of the Magisterium, whether they are looking for an apprentice, an adoptive child, or something to catch the eye at parties, Damon is the first point of call for all the wealthiest families in Minrathous and beyond. His business hit its newest peak, when the gladiator rings were re-introduced, an arena to pit slaves against one another for the chance of freedom, coin and security, and most important, the entertainment of the everyday mage.

This created a brand new opportunity for Magister Amladaris to advertise his merchandise and to sponsor slaves as they fought amongst each other. It is not uncommon for parents to enter themselves into the gladiator tournaments in the hopes of seeing their children freed. However, a slave cannot enter the ring without at first offering a payment, and so these slaves would offer their children as payment, rather than allow them to hand their children over to anyone. This is where Magister Amladaris would come in, he would offer to champion their cause by paying their entrance fees, and hold their children as they scrapped with beasts. If they won, they were able to fight on to earn the coin and influence to buy themselves and their children into a position with some of the highest houses in the Magisterium, but in the unfortunate circumstance that they lost, Magister Amladaris would take the children in and make sure they were sold onto well respected families.

Although the Magister is famous for his business in slavery, he does not keep any child slaves himself. When asked about this, he has simply stated that he did not think he could stand the pain of it. Damon Amladaris has had several children of his own, with his scandalous marriage to a Marcher of Kirkwall, Revka Amell. Though the Amell’s are nobility and are known to have strong magic in their blood, they are not Tevinter and rumours circulating Kirkwall’s Hightown reveal that their house is falling. Damon would only say that the marriage was of his heart’s desire and not due to politics, but unfortunately, the marriage did end in sorrow. Damon had decided to live in Kirkwall with his bride, and raise their four children together. But tragically, the southern savages due not appreciate the power of magic as our great country does, and due to the powerful magic within both Damon’s and Revka’s blood all their children were mages. This would be a cause of great celebration for Magister Amladaris, had the barbaric Templars of the south not torn this life away from him. His eldest daughter and first born son were both stolen and imprisoned in the circle, whilst his youngest boy was murdered. Unable to stand the grief, his wife took her own life. Damon managed to save his only remaining child, Solona, by fleeing back to the safety of Tevinter. But it did not last, as Solona later fell ill with an incurable southern disease, and later died.

However, Damon’s attitude to opening his heart to family later changed, when he once again created scandal by adopting a Qunari girl (rescued from the grasp of the savages to be brought to Tevinter), and raising her as his own. This exotic child of his may be seen at his side at any of his events, attached to him by a gorgeous silk red ribbon, Damon has revealed to us that this is so he does not risk losing his family again. In our interview, we asked Damon what he thought about the scandal this may cause and he simply replied: ‘I cannot blame my little bird for the actions of those savages who held her captive, my men had rescued her from these monsters -Maker only knows what they would have done to her if they hadn’t – and when they brought me to her and I saw the magic she wielded, I knew it must be protected. If she had remained in the captivity of those monster, they would have cut out her tongue, chained her and tried to control her magic, we must show that we are better than they are, we are Tevinter, we understand the true power of magic, and will not try and destroy it like the thugs of Seheron and the south. I know my countrymen will understand.’

Such wise words from Minrathous’s most successful business man and the head of one of our most well respected families, it seems we could all take a page from his grimoire and use it to strengthen us in our struggles against the wretched Qun and the barbarians of the south. However, he is not the first Amladaris to keep a young Qunari mage so close to his side, the head of house Amladaris has always seemed to keep one close by, perhaps they work as a lucky charm, I shall have to get one myself and find out!

If you’re hoping to find out more about our new favourite bachelor Magister Amladaris, then you’ll be able to, by reading next month’s issue of ‘A Lady’s Guide to the Magisterium’ in which he will divulge his thoughts on what makes a lady most desirable!

 

 

 


	3. A Manuscript of Some Authority- Chapter 14: Reproduction

**Extract from 'A Manuscript of Some Authority' By Harold Vitalinus- Translated by Alisa Broin**

 

Chapter 14 - Reproduction

The dragons have an odd breeding system, in that they don't have any. There is no record anywhere of any breeding ritual, a mating season or any habits the creatures have. We know that Dragons begin their life as Dragonlings, then either die as infants or grow on to become Dragons and High Dragons, we know that High Dragons are all female. The Drakes are considered to be the male of the species, given the similarities between the two, but this is nothing more than an assumption and with little evidence to back the theory. Yes, Drakes do have some similarities, they are both scaled creatures able to breathe fire, however, there are records of female Drakes existing, which would mean that Drakes are their own species, rather than the Dragon's male counterpart. It is also worth noting that Drakes have far more similarities with their cousin the Wyvern, than they do with High Dragons.

So that leaves us with an important questions, where are the male dragons? Do they exist at all? And, if so, where are they? When examining the abandoned nests of High Dragons, you can find Dragonling corpses of the young ones that did not make it, and all found have been female. There is absolutely no record of a male Dragonling, Dragon or High Dragon ever existing.

Which leaves us with a few possibilities for how the Dragon produces. One is that they do in fact mate with a male, but not of their own species, but of other reptilians such as Drakes and Wyverns. This however, would lead to a great deal of variation in the appearances of High Dragons, yet they seem to hold no traits of the other species, leaving this a rather unlikely theory. 

Another possibility is that the High Dragons simply do not need a male to produce offspring, that they have a natural cycle of reproduction that involves no sexual interaction whatsoever, which seems far more likely given the lack of evidence for any other theory. 

Further research is required to discover the true nature of these great beasts, which is no small feat, given the aggressive behaviour and raw power of the animals, making it near impossible for a scholar to get close enough to study them and escape with his life. 

**Translator's note-**

**It is worth noting that, although their mating ritual is not traditional, High Dragons will often engage in sexual activities with one another. Meaning the creatures do have some understanding of mating and do participate in it, whether this results in the fertilisation of eggs however, requires far more research than Harold dare try.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harold...


	4. Ancient Text Found in Abandoned Ruins North of Talo’s Eye – Discovered and Translated by Vaanika – Scholar of Tribe Khoj.

**Ancient Text found in abandoned ruins north of Talo’s Eye – Discovered and translated by Vaanika – scholar of tribe Khoj.**

 

[This passage is worn and barely legible, and seems to end midsentence, perhaps there are pages missing?]

\- And so Ece laid herself before the Gods, and begged that they would return to the people, and save them from her mistakes. The Gods answered her with a ritual, in which she would sacrifice herself and from her Daughters, servants of the Gods would be born, who would live amongst mortals and decide for themselves the fate of the world. And so Ece summoned her seven daughters to complete the ritual. The daughters first took Ece’s eyes, and offered them before Micoa, the God of Death and Judgement, so that she could see the world before her and weight their sins and their kindnesses and guide them to their next lives. Then they removed Ece’s womb, and bestowed it before Kirina, the God of Birth and Healing, to repair the damage done to the people and create new life, to replace those lost. And there was balance, between life and death.

Next, the Daughters offered the mind of Ece to Luroma, the God of Peace and Certainty, to offer the people comfort in times of war and to remind them of their ambition, when all seems lost. And the Daughters cut off Ece’s ears, and laid them before Vanara, the God of Discovery and Knowledge, to listen to the world’s sorrows and understand all that is said and all that is done.

The Daughters then took Ece’s hands and offered them to Varocos, the God of the Forge and Resolution, to help rebuild the world that was destroyed and arm the people as they fought.

Finally, the Daughters claimed Ece's bones offered it to Tarana, the God of Unity and Protection, to protect the people as the Gods wared and lead them to battle. Next, the daughters removed Ece’s heart, and offered it to Kadai, the God of Liberty and Chaos, to destroy the enemies of the people and too free them from their chains. Kadai and Tarana were to balance one another, one could not exist without the other, yet they constantly wared.

However, because of Ece’s past mistakes….

[Notes: This text was found in the ruins of what seemed to have once been a temple of some sorts, just north of Talo’s Eye and on the border between the Anderfels and The Donarks. The temple was massive, and seemed to once house people, perhaps priests or pilgrims who had come to worship their Gods? What the real question is, is who the temple was built by. The temple has fared remarkably well, most likely due to some kind of magical protection, but it is clearly ancient. It is in fact the oldest structure I have ever encountered. The architecture is clearly Kossith, and the magical energy found within the rooms confirms this for me. As the Elders predicted, the Kossith did not always have horns; there are many statues of significant figures around the temple, all without horns. Yet they still have the distinctive features of the Vashoth, pointed ears that are smaller than your average elf’s – though admittedly this could be an aesthetic choice – but they are also tall averaging around eight feet. It is also worth noting that all the statues were female, though this is of little surprise.

There are some statues that differ greatly, the seven statues based in the very heart of the temple, all sat in a circle with an alter in its centre. The great seven statues seem to represent the same seven Gods we know and worship today, however, they are not statues of Dragons, but of Kossith with horns. Which would make them Vashoth, I suppose.

This brings up many questions about our history, we have long since believed that our Gods were Dragons, we believed them to be the same Dragons the Vints worship, the ones now tainted by the Blight. Could this be a mistake? I do not believe the statues are the aforementioned ‘Daughters’ in the text, as our ancestors seemed to depict warriors and prophets as standing, usually brandishing a weapon or mounting a beast. But these statues were sat legs crossed and their eyes opened and wide, watching any who stepped forward. This is not the way one would depict a servant of a God, but a peaceful watcher. The statues seemed to be adorned in different clothing, though the statues are faded, they all seem to be of a different origin.  Though the Kossith have become less distinct in are once varied cultures and languages, we are still varied when it comes to our appearance, these statues seem to demonstrate this. Another reason I believe them to be Gods and not Servants, is the alter in the middle of them, it is a rectangle rock, with grooves carved into its surface, long enough to lay a Vasoth body onto it. I believe this may mean that this alter is where the described ritual may have taken place, though this is all speculation on my part for the moment, I believe this is still worth investigating.

As for the text itself, it appeared to be written in Vana; my tribes first language, but when I asked one of my Tal-Vashoth companions to read it, they stated that it was Qunlat. It appears a magic is placed upon all the written text within the temple, so that no matter who reads it, they will understand. I do not know if this works strictly for us, or whether a human or elf could read it as well.

Whatever secrets of our people’s past is hidden here, I will unravel them, it truly is a wonderful place to be. It offers a peace and safety that I have only known whilst within the Great City, I hope more of our people can come here and know this feeling.]


End file.
